Calcium ions are universal messengers, regulating many processes within cells, including cerebral vascular smooth muscle (VSM) cells, a single layer of which lines the walls of arteriolar blood vessels. These cerebral arteriolar VSM cells, the subject of this study, are key determinants of blood pressure and local blood flow and thus are crucial in the pathophysiology of hypertension, subarachnoid hemorrhage, vasospasm and stroke. In VSM highly localized, brief cytosolic Ca2+ transients (Ca2+ sparks), emanating from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) through ryanodine receptors (RyRs), govern nearby Ca2+-activated ion channels, both large-conductance K+(BK) channels and CI- (CI(Ca)) channels. Activation of a cluster of BK channels in the spark "microdomain" causes a spontaneous transient outward current (STOC); activation of nearby CI(Ca) channels results in a spontaneous transient inward current (STIC). Virtually all smooth muscle cells display STOCs, and very many display STICs, including the mouse pial arteriolar VSM cells to be studied here. This proposal has two fundamental objectives: first, to advance basic, biophysical understanding of sparks, STOCs, STICS and the nature of the spark microdomain from which they arise; and second, to more clearly understand the physiology of these important cerebral arteriolar VSM cells. The spark micoromain will be studied with a unique, high-speed widefield imaging system in conjunction with simultaneous patch clamp recordings. The nature of the spark and the underlying Ca2+ current will be analyzed using a novel "signal mass" methodology. The influence of SR Ca2+ stores on events within the microdomain will be examined using direct measurements of free SR [Ca2+] and the use of a phospholamban KO mouse. Of the three types of RyRs, encoded by different genes, type 3 (RyR3) is found only in certain smooth muscle cells, among them arteriolar VSM cells employed here. The effect of RYR3 on events within the microdomain (i.e., sparks, STOCs and STICs) will be examined by use of a RyR3-KO mouse. STOCs are thought to hyperpolarize VSM cells leading to relaxation, whereas STICs should have the opposite effect. Since the same sparks can elicit both, an apparent paradox, we have postulated that sparks have a stabilizing effect on membrane potential and hence on the contractile state of VSM cells. We hypothesize further that those relaxing or contractile agents which affect sparks act like a switch by affecting STICs and STOCs in opposite ways. This hypothesis will be evaluated by examining the mechanisms of action of endothelin and nitric oxide, key contractile and relaxing agents, respectively. The existence of functional Ca2+ microdomains strongly suggests local control of Ca2+ sparks by events within the microdomain, which is critical in regulation of cardiac cells. We postulate an analogous local regulation in VSM cells. We will examine how Ca2 +,sparks are regulated by nearby voltage-activated Ca2vchannels and the how feedback from Ca2+ sparks in turn affects the Ca2+ channels.